CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Friday, July 31, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO WRAPS UP THREE-DAY, OFFICIAL VISIT TO JAMAICA 2.- CUBAN AND U.S. PROFESSORS AGREE TO EXCHANGE PROGRAM 3.- WORKING GROUP FORMED TO OVERSEE DECONTAMINATION OF HAVANA BAY 4.- ALTERNATIVE METHODS WITHOUT THE USE OF INDUSTRIAL FEEDS FOR CUBA'S POULTRY 5.- DAILY PUBLICATION "VENTANA DE CUBA" BEGINS CIRCULATION CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO WRAPS UP THREE-DAY, OFFICIAL VISIT TO JAMAICA Kingston, July 31(RHC)-- On the third and final day of his official visit to Jamaica, Cuban President Fidel Castro laid a floral wreath on the grave of the late Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley, with whom the Cuban leader had close ties in the 1970s and 80s. During the solemn ceremony, the Cuban president was accompanied by Michael Manley's widow and a number of high-ranking Jamaican officials. Shortly before leaving the Jamaican capital, bound for Barbados, Cuban President Fidel Castro met with representatives from diverse social organizations at Kingston's Convention Center and signed important bilateral accords with Jamaican Prime Minister Percival Patterson. One of the high points of the second day of Fidel Castro's visit to Jamaica, on Thursday, was the reinauguration of the Jamaican capital's Nelson Mandela Park. Prime Minister Patterson said during the event that when the complete history of the collapse of apartheid is written, the Cuban leader's name "will appear in gold letters." During a speech constantly interrupted by applause, the leader of the Cuban Revolution stated that "what Cuba did in Africa was nothing more than the payment of a debt of gratitude to those who were brought to our lands and subjected to the most criminal type of exploitation." He added that the first people to struggle for the independence and freedom of the American hemisphere were African slaves. President Castro went on to say that the difference in language is not a barrier to cooperation between countries, pointing to the example of South Africa, where 400 Cuban doctors are currently working. The Cuban leader also blasted the World Trade Organization for eliminating the trade preferences that Europe granted to its former colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. The elimination of trade preferences is threatening to cripple banana production in the Caribbean -- one of the region's primary sources of income, along with tourism. President Castro termed as unjust and inhumane the supposition that small nations depending on seasonal crops and exposed to climatic phenomena like hurricanes should be treated under the same conditions as large countries. The Cuban leader said that Havana would offer its support to Jamaica's aspiration to be seated among the non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and also offered Cuba's support for the candidacy of any Caribbean nation as a member of the UN Human Rights Commission. On the second leg of his three-nation Caribbean tour, the Cuban leader will be in Barbados until Sunday, when he will travel to Grenada. CUBAN AND U.S. PROFESSORS AGREE TO EXCHANGE PROGRAM Miami, July 31(RHC)-- Experts from the Center of Latin American Studies based at the University of Florida have announced an exchange program with the University of Havana, despite the strong opposition of ultra right-wing Cuban- Americans in southern Florida. The exchange program, expected to begin next year, will include four professors from the University of Havana travelling to Cuba and the same number of Cuban educators travelling to Florida. Helen Safa, a professor at the University of Florida, said that her colleagues have welcomed the idea of the exchange program. However, the ultra right-wing Cuban-American National Foundation has strongly rejected the idea, along with several U.S. congressional representatives of Cuban origin in the state of Florida. U.S. lawmakers from Florida attempted to cut state funds to the university in 1995 for inviting three Cuban professors during an international law symposium. WORKING GROUP FORMED TO OVERSEE DECONTAMINATION OF HAVANA BAY Havana, July 31(RHC)-- Havana City's Provincial President Conrado Martinez Corona has characterized the creation of a working commission for the decontamination and conservation of Havana Bay as an important economic and social step for the capital and the country. The Cuban official pointed out that the clean-up project will help guarantee a more healthy life for the population in Havana, as well as increase tourism and trade. The president of Havana City's Provincial Assembly of People's Power added that the working group, which was formed by the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers, includes an action plan that will be carried out by a number of institutions and a permanent legal instrument that will promote the protection of the ecosystem. Among some of the strategies include an increase in the level of oxygen in the water, reducing the amount of hydrocarbons and an environmental education program. ALTERNATIVE METHODS WITHOUT THE USE OF INDUSTRIAL FEEDS FOR CUBA'S POULTRY Havana, July 31(RHC)-- Cubans will be able to benefit from the use of alternative methods of poultry farming, which produced almost 66 million eggs during the first half of this year without the use of industrial feed. Prior to 1991, some 2 million 700,000 eggs were produced by chickens that were given expensive, imported feed. These figures did not include family production or that of institutions that produce their own food. Cuba's advantageous relations with the former socialist camp provided large amounts of concentrated chicken feed, but now, in order to purchase the 30 primary ingredients necessary to make those feeds, large amounts of hard currency must be spent. A new breed of hens has been developed that is able to thrive on feeds made from national products. The animals have proven to be hardy and adaptable to different types of conditions. The provinces that have produced outstanding results using this alternative poultry farming are western Pinar del Rio, central Cienfuegos and the eastern provinces of Holguin and Guantanamo. Good results were also reported in Havana Province. The Poultry Research Center, located in Havana, is encouraging private citizens to raise the hens at home in order to produce their own eggs. DAILY PUBLICATION "VENTANA DE CUBA" BEGINS CIRCULATION Havana, July 31(RHC)-- The daily Ventana de Cuba, published by the Swiss agency World Research Data, has begun circulation in Cuba and throughout the world. According to the publication's Editor-in-Chief Rene Lopez, this project is the result of solidarity with Cuba and hopes to offer its readers in over 120 countries a comprehensive view of Cuban history, economy and society. The first issue is dedicated to the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba and includes interviews with Rodrigo Alvarez Cambra, one of the world's top ten orthopedic doctors, as well as Marta Loma, Deputy Minister of Foreign Investment and Economic Collaboration. [c] 1998, Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. This prohibition includes the distribution of this material via Usenet News, "bulletin board" services, e-mail lists, print media, radio and television. For the complete RADIO HAVANA CUBA NEWSCAST and other features, please write for our daily broadcast schedule. We welcome your comments and suggestions. For further information, contact us at: Postal Address: Radio Havana Cuba P.O.Box 6240 Havana, Cuba Telephone: (53) (7) 791053 Fax: (53) (7) 795007 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org WWW: http://www.radiohc.org